What is a Hepatic Hemangioma?
A hepatic hemangioma is a benign (non-cancerous) birthmark in your liver—essentially a cluster of extra blood vessels that formed during development and poses no health threat in the vast majority of cases. 1
Understanding the Basics
Think of a hepatic hemangioma as a tangle of small blood vessels in your liver, similar to a birthmark on the skin but located inside the liver. 2 These are:
- The most common benign liver finding, occurring in approximately 0.4-7.3% of the general population 1, 3
- Not cancer and cannot turn into cancer—they are developmental vascular malformations without clinical significance in most cases 1
- More common in women than men, with up to 5 times more women affected 1, 3
- Usually discovered by accident when you have imaging tests (ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI) for completely unrelated reasons 2, 4
What They Look Like Inside Your Body
These lesions are blood-filled spaces lined by the same cells that line normal blood vessels, fed by the liver's artery. 2 They typically:
- Range in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters 2
- Appear as well-defined spots on imaging that have characteristic patterns doctors can recognize 1
- Don't usually grow over time, especially the smaller ones 2
Symptoms (or Lack Thereof)
Most people (50-70%) with hepatic hemangiomas have absolutely no symptoms and never will. 5 When symptoms do occur, they typically only happen with larger hemangiomas (greater than 5 cm) and may include:
- Upper abdominal discomfort or pain, usually from the liver capsule stretching 2, 6
- Feeling of fullness if the hemangioma is large enough to compress nearby structures 6
Life-threatening complications like bleeding or rupture are extremely rare. 6, 4
What This Means for You
For typical small to medium hemangiomas (less than 5 cm), you need no treatment and no routine follow-up imaging. 1 This is important to understand:
- You can live your normal life without restrictions 1
- Pregnancy is not contraindicated, and you can use hormonal birth control 1
- No special diet or lifestyle changes are needed 4
- The hemangioma will likely never cause problems—progression occurs in less than 40% of cases 4
When Monitoring or Treatment Might Be Needed
For larger hemangiomas (greater than 5 cm), periodic ultrasound monitoring is recommended to check for growth or symptom development. 1 Surgery is only reserved for very specific situations:
- Rupture or bleeding (extremely rare) 1
- Severe, disabling pain that doesn't respond to other treatments 1
- Compression of important organs or blood vessels 1
- Persistent diagnostic uncertainty when doctors cannot be sure it's truly a hemangioma 1
The Bottom Line
A hepatic hemangioma is essentially a harmless collection of extra blood vessels in your liver that you were likely born with. 1, 4 It's one of the most common findings doctors see on liver imaging, and in the vast majority of cases, it requires nothing more than confirmation of the diagnosis and reassurance. 1, 3